Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Vanessa writes, "Woo hoo! I just got an email from the theatre director at Wichita High School East. They're doing my play "The Answer" this weekend! Anyone in Kansas? I believe this is the first time I've had to different plays in production in one weekend! I was due for some good news, this rocks"

Friday, February 24, 2012

The WCSU theatre arts department will present "Lysistrata by Aristophanes" in the Berkshire Theatre in Berkshire Hall on the university's Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 29 and March 1; 8 p.m. on Friday, March 2; 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 3; and 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 4. Call the Berkshire Theatre Box Office at (203) 837-8732 for information.

The Paier College of Art will exhibit its Faculty Art Show on Friday, February 24th, 2012 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. The show will include works by faculty who, in addition to teaching, are active and seasoned professionals within their disciplines. Works will include a variety of styles and mediums.

The Art-for-All is an art event to the power of three: three venues, weekends, juries and prizes. A portion of the proceeds from all art sales will be donated to the Hispanic Center of Greater Danbury. A $500 prize will be awarded for the best in show at each venue, to be determined by an outside juror(s). Musical Guest Brian Horberg.

Each artist will have an opportunity to submit ONE piece of original artwork to each of the 3 locations. That means 3 opportunities to show and possibly sell your work and 3 chances to win a $500 cash prize! (Limit 1 prize per artist)

Any type of art will be considered, we're encouraging painters, sculpters, photographers, etc.

Please follow this link to download a submission form or obtain a copy at any of the 3 locations in Danbury.

The Newtown Arts Festival Artwork Selection Committee invites you to submit your artwork to our contest! The winning submission will be used to promote the Arts Festival and will appear in businesses and public spaces around Newtown and surrounding towns. The artwork will also be printed on t-shirts, tote bags, and other items that will be available for purchase at the Newtown Arts Festival. Imagine your own artwork promoting the 2012 Newtown Arts Festival! Submissions are due to the Festival Artwork Selection Committee c/o Koenig FrameWorks, 97 South Main Street (Route 25), Newtown, CT 06470 beginning February 1 through February 29, 2012 during regular business hours (Monday through Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM). Late entries will not be accepted. Please call Donna Mangiafico, NCAC Secretary at 203-788-7474 or email her at djmangiafico@aol.com if you have questions. For more information on submission guidlines, click here.

I have been asked by Dean Dan Goble to check in with graduates from 2009, 2010 and 2011 to find out what you are doing?

Questions will include: Did you get a job when you graduated, if not how long did it take?
Are you using your degree?
Did you go onto other studies? and of course, while contacting you I will want to update your web page.

Brittany Leandra wrote, "Oh gosh that did need an update! Thanks for putting in the more current information that I just gave you. I am the art assistant for Fine Gardening Magazine. That's my official title if you wanted to include it!

Alain will be sharing his "Reflections of Hope" series of Rwanda paintings alongside photographs of Kenyan children by Richard C. Close at Spruce Home & Garden, on Bank Street in New Milford. Come on out and enjoy inspiring african art and conversation with a cause.

Alain's entire collection of prints will be for sale, with a significant portion of the proceeds going to support the work of World Relief in Rwanda.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Phil writes, "new website. ahh..."

Richter Association for the Arts offers an annual winter film festival beginning February 22 at 3 pm with "The Age of Splendor, from Rembrandt to Gainsborough". This film is the first of four in a series, "A new Look at Western Art and American Folk Music."

If you love art and music, join RAA in the Farioly Room in the lower level of the Danbury Library for these four free one hour presentations followed by discussion and light refreshments.

This call for entry is open to all artists working in a variety of media, professionals and students who wish to contribute their vision or voice to raising awareness on the “Plight of the Pollinator”. A panel of jurors from both the disciplines of art and science will select works for the “Field Projects” exhibition space. All artists, who contribute to this event through participation, will have the opportunity to be exhibited online through “Flickr”. This online exhibition will be accessible through the Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust website for a six month viewing period. Awards for adult artists and professionals will be announced. A Natalie Van Vleck Student Award will be offered in honor of Natalie Van Vleck, artist and founder of Flanders Nature Center, for an outstanding piece that reflects the spirit of this spring’s “Plight of the Pollinator” challenge. Entry fees and partial proceeds from the sale of work at the exhibition will benefit the Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust’s environmental education programs.
Jury Panel and Process
The jury panel for “Plight of the Pollinators” was assembled to represent a diverse combination of arts professionals and representation from the science community who are supportive to the theme of promoting awareness of this critical environmental issue. The process is two-fold ensuring a variety of inputs into the selection of artworks in order to enhance the quality and transparency of the jury process .All artworks submitted will be available for viewing on an online platform, in this case Flickr . Artists will have the option to opt in or out of this opportunity when they apply to the call. This ensures that all artists who support this theme are represented and their participation is acknowledged. Selections from those submissions are first filtered through the curators of the show. Works from that first selection process are then passed on to the blind jury panel for an objective selection of work that reflects a high level of artistic quality.
Jurors; Donald Taglialatella ( World House Publications)Marjorie Frankel Nathanson( Executive Director of the Hunterdon Art Museum )Douglas Hyland(Director of the New Britain Museum of American Art)Marjorie Portnow( Painter,National Academy of Design)Susan Cusato(the Chairperson of the Science Education and Environmental Studies at Southern Connecticut State University)Jay Foster (Musician, composer, audio production consultant, and owner of J. Foster Music Studios)
for full Prospectus visit www.bluehorsearts.com- Plight of the Pollinators or apply directly thru https://www.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=949

Monday, February 20, 2012

LET THERE BE LIGHT Guest Artist and Master PhotographerGeorgia Sheron will be holding a one day workshop at Blue Horse Arts Studio on March 3rd, 2012 from 12PM- 5PM. The workshop, “Let There Be Light” will incorporate the use of the model while working in a variety of lighting situations. Topics covered will be working with day and window lighting, studio lighting techniques, working with difficult lighting conditions, and shooting on location. The workshop is all open to all participants who possess a working knowledge of their camera. This short course is also great for artists and figurative painters who sometime need to work with photo reference. Photographers are encouraged to bring 5 pieces of work for a wine and cheese group critique at 5pm.

The workshop tuition is 80.00 plus a 20.00 dollar model fee. Refreshments will be provided. A 25.00 deposit is required to hold your spot in the workshop.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust, in conjunction with Blue Horse Arts Studio, located in Watertown, Connecticut, seeks artwork for an upcoming exhibition in June, 2012. Artists will be challenged to create works of art inspired by nature and/or critical environmental issues. This “Art of the Earth” series of events will encompass seasonal group exhibitions starting this spring with an initial call for art and multimedia creations for a “Plight of the Pollinators” exhibition. This exhibition will be open to the local and online community in an effort to raise awareness of the vital importance of the role of pollinators in maintaining the health of our food and eco-systems. Partial proceeds from the sale of work from the exhibition and entry fees will be donated to Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust’s environmental educational programming.

This event is open to all artists both professionals and students, whose work reflects the topic of pollination. The artwork selected by the jury for exhibition at “Field Projects” exhibition space must meet the space criterion of the gallery. Works that are site specific or oversized will be included in the online exhibition.

Blue Horse Arts Studio wishes to congratulate to Maggie Di Matteo for her selection into the New Hampshire Institute of Art’s National High School Art Competition!!!

Maggie is a 16 yr old art student from Oxford, CT. currently enrolled in the Blue Horse Arts Studio’s Portfolio Preparation Course located in Watertown, CT. She has been studying at the studio for about 10 weeks where she has been learning to draw from observation utilizing a classical methodology. Maggie’s recent graphite drawing has been selected to be exhibited in the New Hampshire Institute of Art’s National High School Art Competition. Her classical cast drawing of the ear, (that she has put in 7 weeks of patient observation into!), has landed her a place in this competitive exhibition.

Her drawing will be on view March 17th, 2012 at the campus of the New Hampshire Institute of Art. The awards ceremony will take place at 2pm that day. Finalists in this competition are eligible for awards and scholarships totaling 10,000 dollars. Good luck to Maggie!

R W A N D A Reflections of HopeI invite you to view a collection of works portraying the beauty and vitality of the Rwandan people amidst the brokenness of a country ravaged by genocide. In 1994 as a result of systematic ethnic cleansing, approximately one million Rwandans were brutally slaughtered in just 100 days. Today the scars remain, yet there is hope for Rwanda. These paintings are my reflections of hope.

African Youth Benefit Gallery Opening

Spruce Home & Garden, 20 Bank Street, New Milford

Saturday, February 25, 5:00pm - 8:00pm

Alain J. Picard will be sharing his "Reflections of Hope" series of Rwanda paintings alongside photographs of Kenyan children by Richard C. Close at Spruce Home & Garden, on Bank Street in New Milford. Come on out and enjoy inspiring african art and conversation with a cause.

Alain's entire collection of prints will be for sale, with a significant portion of the proceeds going to support the work of World Relief in Rwanda.

I will be gallery sitting from 12 to 4 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hope to see you at the opening and for a visit some afternoon!

Friday, February 10, 2012

Ginger Hanrahan heads the group of five area artists who make up Newtown Arts, a new studio in the former Probate Court rooms of Edmond Town Hall that hopes to add to the area’s art class choices by offering periodic courses, workshops, and open studio events. —Carl Hebert Photography

The article discusses Ginger and Betsy Davidson MFA '10, Eileen Tavolacci MFA '11, Kevin Dunn MFA '11 and Saba Quraishi-Fiala starting Newtown Arts, an arrangement that allows for each of them to spend time working independently in the quiet, bright rooms, gives them a professional address, and provides them with a space to show their work to interested buyers.They also offer classes and private lessons.

The 2012 London International Creative Competition is accepting entries now.

LICC invites all visual artists to submit their creative work for inclusion in the LICC AWARDS CEREMONY. The artwork is juried by a board of internationally esteemed artists, writers, curators, gallery owners and other luminaries of the visual arts. There is no limit to creativity. LICC has no boundaries and encourages you to push the envelope of your creativity. All disciplines are accepted.

Regular deadline: April 30, 2012
Entry Fee: Professional: £20, Student: £15
Prize: £2,000 cash prize, work published in LICC's annual Book of Creative Designs and receives the much sought after LICC Trophy at the LICC Awards Ceremony in September 2012. Click here for contact information

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Middletown Art Guild meets once a month (with some exceptions) for special demonstrations given by local artists. These fun demos are usually held on the second Thursday evening of the month at 7 p.m. at the Middlefield Federated Church Hall, 402 Main Street, Middlefield, CT, and are generally very well attended. The demos run about an hour, followed by refreshments, questions, and voting for "Painting of the Month".

Only $5.00 for non-members. Non-members may join the Guild for $25.00 a year. Membership expires December 31st.

The Gallery at the Kent Art Association invites all artists to enter the annual KAA Member Show, which starts its 89th Season. The first Member Show runs from Sunday, March 25 until Sunday, April 22. Receiving will take place at The Gallery at the Kent Art Association on Route 7, just south of the monument, Saturday, March 24 from 11 am to 2 pm. All work must be original and for sale. A copy of the prospectus can be found at www.kentart.org. For more information call the Gallery at 860.927.3989. Artists may join at receiving.

Prior to receiving, noted Artist Scott Bricher will be doing a critique of members work. Critiques are limited to paid members and only one image per member is allowed.

The Newtown Arts Festival Artwork Selection Committee invites you to submit your artwork to our contest! The winning submission will be used to promote the Arts Festival and will appear in businesses and public spaces around Newtown and surrounding towns. The artwork will also be printed on t-shirts, tote bags, and other items that will be available for purchase at the Newtown Arts Festival. Imagine your own artwork promoting the 2012 Newtown Arts Festival! Submissions are due to the Festival Artwork Selection Committee c/o Koenig FrameWorks, 97 South Main Street (Route 25), Newtown, CT 06470 beginning February 1 through February 29, 2012 during regular business hours (Monday through Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM). Late entries will not be accepted. Please call Donna Mangiafico, NCAC Secretary at 203-788-7474 or email her at djmangiafico@aol.com if you have questions. For more information on submission guidlines, click here.

Dan DosSantos received a B.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he graduated with highest honors in 2000. Beginning his career by painting portraits out of his parents’ basement, he quickly moved into full-time illustration. Dan’s work spans a variety of genres, including novels, comics and film. He has worked for clients such as Disney, Universal Studios, Boeing Aircraft, Saatchi & Saatchi, Scholastic Books, The Greenwich Workshop, Penguin Books, Random House, Tor books, UpperDeck, Wizards of the Coast, and DC Comics. Dan has been the recipient of many awards. Recently, he has received a 2010 Silver Medal from Spectrum, the 2007 Jack Gaughan Award for Best Emerging Artist, and was the Chesley Award winner for Best Paperback Cover of 2007. His illustrations have graced the #1 spot on the New York Times Best Seller list numerous times. Aside from freelance illustration, Dan also co-hosts a series of instructional demonstrations called “Art Out Loud”.

Lecture will take place at 11:00 a.m. in Viewing Room 1 in the basement of White Hall on the Midtown Campus

Thursday, February 2, 2012

SCAN continues to offer sketch sessions to it's members. The next session with a nude model for a $7.00 fee is scheduled for Wednesday, February 22nd from 9:30 am until 12:30 pm. The session allows members to enhance and enrich their drawing skills.

Congratulations to Darby Cardonsky as the new MFA Coordinator. Darby is pulling together the accomplishments for the annual report. She requests, "

Dear MFA Alum:

The MFA alumni continue to make outstanding progress in your professional lives. The reports received this year of alumni activities in exhibition, publication, and teaching have been truly impressive, and any university would find them exceptional. Margaret Grimes will be helping Darby to prepare the annual board report, and as always we would like to get as much material as we can from each of you. Please, please, please send us your news and activities since March 2011 to Cardonskyd@wcsu.edu. They will need it by March 1st at the latest, but earlier would be better!